Department for Transport

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Staff

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the additional staff required to work at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to cover work related to the UK leaving the EU.

Chris Grayling: Holding answer received on 09 October 2018



The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has been engaged in an ongoing process to ensure it has sufficient resource capability to deliver EU exit related work. Staff working in dedicated EU exit roles have principally been deployed from elsewhere in the DVLA or through wider Civil Service recruitment. Some DVLA staff are also working on EU exit related issues as part of their day to day roles, rather than being dedicated solely to EU exit work. Given the interactions between EU exit work and other priorities, the continuous review of business resourcing needs, and the adaptation of existing jobs, it is not possible to provide an estimate of the number of extra DVLA staff recruited to deal with EU exit related work.

Driving: EU Law

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the additional staff required to issue and check International Driver Permits for drivers entering the UK from the EU member states after the UK leaves the EU.

Chris Grayling: Holding answer received on 09 October 2018



There is currently no requirement for visitors to carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) to allow them to drive in the UK. After the UK leaves the EU, these arrangements are not expected to change. As a result, there will be no requirement to check IDPs for EU driving licence holders entering the UK.

Driving: EU Law

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many International Driver Permits have been issued to EU drivers and haulage companies in preparation for the UK leaving the EU to date.

Chris Grayling: Holding answer received on 09 October 2018



The UK Government is not responsible for issuing International Driving Permits (IDPs) to driving licence holders from other EU Member States. While we are a member of the EU, UK driving licences continue to be recognised by all EU Member States, so IDPs are not required for UK licence holders. The Government is seeking to ensure that UK motorists can continue to drive in the EU after we have left. The treatment of driving licences will depend on the outcome of the final agreement. If there is no agreement with the EU, both private and professional drivers may need an IDP, as well as their UK driving licence, to drive in the EU following the UK’s exit.

Driving: EU Law

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of International Driver Permit checks that will be required for drivers who do not hold UK driving licenses who enter the UK from the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Chris Grayling: Holding answer received on 09 October 2018



The UK does not currently require visitors to carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) to allow them to drive here. After the UK leaves the EU, arrangements for drivers who do not hold a UK driving licence who are visiting or living in the UK will not change. As a result, there will be no requirement to check IDPs for EU driving licence holders entering the UK.

Gospel Oak-Barking Railway Line

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of services on the London Overground Barking-Gospel Oak line.

Joseph Johnson: Holding answer received on 09 October 2018



Transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London, and it is for him to consider what, if any, assessment is made of the adequacy of services on the London Overground Barking - Gospel Oak line. Transport for London publishes a number of statistics on journey times and travel trends in its annual report “Travel in London”.

Gospel Oak-Barking Railway Line

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the availability of new trains on the London Overground Barking-Gospel Oak line, if he will direct Angel Trains to defer the transfer to West Midlands Trains of seven diesel trains currently subleased to Arriva Rail London.

Joseph Johnson: Holding answer received on 09 October 2018



These diesel trains are leased by Angel Trains to West Midlands Trains (WMT). Transport for London is subleasing these trains from WMT until December, by when it expects new electric trains to be in service on the Gospel Oak to Barking line.

Gospel Oak-Barking Railway Line

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, he will direct Angel Trains to return to Arriva Rail London the diesel train previously sub-leased to that company for use on the Barking to Gospel Oak line until new electric trains are brought into service on that line.

Joseph Johnson: Holding answer received on 09 October 2018



This diesel train is one of several leased by Angel Trains to West Midlands Trains (WMT). Transport for London is subleasing these trains from WMT until December, by when it expects new electric trains to be in service on the Gospel Oak to Barking line.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Small Businesses: Billing

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to encourage businesses to become signatories to the Prompt Payment Code.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government supports the Prompt Payment Code as an industry-led and voluntary set of best-practice principles. We work closely with the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM), who administer the Code, in encouraging organisations to sign up to the Code. Furthermore, the Department has now launched a call for evidence seeking views on how we can build on the government’s existing late payment policies, including the Prompt Payment Code, to drive an end to late payments.

Work Experience: Pay

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Answer of 18 July 2018 to Question 163133 on Work Experience: Pay, what the timetable is for the public guidance to be updated.

Kelly Tolhurst: The updated internship guidance will clarify the checks employers need to take to ensure compliance with the law. The update will be published shortly alongside other regular updates to the guidance entitled “Calculating the National Minimum Wage”.HMRC are continuing to write to employers advertising unpaid internships to help them understand National Minimum Wage law. Similarly, HMRC also engage with at-risk groups, with over 1.6 million text messages sent to workers, 1.3 million texts sent to working tax credit recipients, and 370,000 texts sent to apprentices.HMRC responds to 100% of worker complaints and also conducts proactive, targeted enforcement. In the 2017/18 financial year, HMRC identified £15.6 million in arrears for over 200,00 workers.

Self-employed: Older Workers

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the number of self-employment among workers aged 65 and above.

Kelly Tolhurst: This data is available publicly here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/september2018

Self-employed

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate he has made of the number of self-employed people (a) with and (b) without employees.

Kelly Tolhurst: This data is available publicly here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/september2018

Directors: Gender

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential value to the UK economy of achieving a better gender balance on company boards.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Government is committed to a cohesive society, where everyone – no matter what their background – has the opportunity to enter into and progress at work and achieve on merit. Gender diversity in the workforce and in business leadership is good for company performance and productivity; it benefits investors, the wider economy and society as a whole. A report published by McKinsey in 2016 has estimated that bridging the UK gender gap in work has the potential to create an extra £150 billion on top of business-as-usual GDP forecasts in 2025. That is why we need our top companies to lead the way on this. The Government commissioned and supports the independent, business-led Hampton-Alexander Review to meet its targets of women holding 33% of senior leadership positions and 33% of board positions in FTSE350 companies by 2020.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

USA: UNRWA

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the US Government on its decision to withdraw funding from the UN Relief and Works Agency.

Alistair Burt: ​The Foreign Secretary discussed the issue of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) with the Senior Adviser to the President, Jared Kushner, on 22 August. We are concerned about the impact of the US cutting its funding. The Government has recently increased its support to UNRWA. The UK has so far provided £57.5 million in funding this year for the Agency to help vulnerable Palestinian refugees, as well as £2 million to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to help provide Gazans with access to clean water and sanitation.

Israel: Palestinians

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Norwegian Refugee Council on Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

Alistair Burt: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly meet with the Norwegian Refugee Council to discuss the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to get updates on the progress of the British funded legal aid programme. The programme supports Bedouin communities and Palestinians facing demolition or eviction in Area C of the West Bank to challenge decisions in the Israeli legal system.

Iraq: Politics and Government

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Iraqi Government and (b) Kurdistan Regional Government on the effect of territorial disputes on reconstruction efforts in the Nineveh Plains.

Alistair Burt: ​UK officials closely monitor the situation in Iraq and are in regular contact with Governors in provinces liberated from Daesh, and the Government of Iraq, including the Prime Minister's Office, to discuss issues such as territorial disputes in the Ninewa Plains. UK staff also coordinate with partners such as the UN's International Organisation for Migration to track conditions in areas of return, including indicators such as access to services, safety and security.

Iraq: Internally Displaced People

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the safety and security of internally displaced persons returning from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to the Nineveh Plains.

Alistair Burt: ​Displaced people in all areas of Iraq continue to deal with significant challenges, including forced displacement, risk of eviction and a lack of access to services. A significant number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) reside in Ninewa; recent updates from camps in the governorate suggest that the majority of issues are around poor access to electricity and water, whilst the main concerns for out-of-camp IDPs relate to need for healthcare services and cash assistance. UK officials closely monitor the humanitarian situation across the whole of Iraq. Overall there has been significant progress since the country was liberated from Daesh, with the number of IDPs now below two million, and the number of returnees over four million. If we are to see continued progress, it will be vital for the Government of Iraq to coordinate closely with the Kurdish Regional Government to ensure that IDPs continue to be able to return to areas such as the Ninewa Plains.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Living Wage

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage.

Suella Braverman: I can confirm that all staff directly employed by the Department for Exiting the European Union are paid in line with the Government’s National Living Wage. All staff are based in London and are paid in line with the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Living Wage

Gareth Snell: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below  the London Living Wage.

Suella Braverman: I can confirm that all staff directly employed by the Department for Exiting the European Union are paid in line with the Government’s National Living Wage. All staff are based in London and are paid in line with the living wage, as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Department of Health and Social Care

BAN2401

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to make available on the NHS the drug BAN2401 for the prevention of Alzheimers.

Steve Brine: We are aware that this drug, BAN2401 which is currently the subject of early clinical trials to test its efficacy and safety, does not have a marketing authorisation and is not routinely funded by the National Health Service. Following successful clinical trials, the company would be able to apply for a marketing authorisation for the product and it will be considered through the established topic selection arrangements for potential guidance development by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Lung Diseases: Health Education

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to increase public awareness of the symptoms of (a) lung cancer and (b) respiratory conditions.

Steve Brine: Public Health England’s Be Clear on Cancer campaigns raise the public’s awareness of signs and symptoms of cancer, and are an important step in diagnosing cancers earlier. The Be Clear on Cancer Respiratory Symptoms campaign aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of a persistent cough or inappropriate breathlessness as possible symptoms of lung disease, including cancer and encourages people to visit their doctor promptly. The campaign has run at a national level twice, in July to August 2016 and May to September 2017.

Health Services: Standards

Sandy Martin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) effectiveness of local authority health scrutiny committees and (b) ability of those committees to identify decisions and practices in the local health sector which have subsequently been changed.

Steve Brine: Local government plays a vital role in planning local health services and in scrutinising the local National Health Service’s plans for the delivery and the improvement of those services. Members are accountable to their electorate for their actions, and guidance and support is available to help them. The Independent Reconfiguration Panel is also available to help scrutiny committee’s oversight of the NHS.

Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment of paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disease.

Matt Hancock: Holding answer received on 09 October 2018



Paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disease (PANDAS) is currently a research and clinical area of interest for professionals working with children and young people. There is evidence that exposure to an infection can act as a trigger for some children to present acutely with a range of neurodevelopmental and mental health symptoms such as tics, obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and eating problems etc. However, there is inconclusive research evidence to demonstrate that PANDAS is a discrete disease entity. It is therefore not listed as a diagnosis by the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Brineura

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to make cerliponase alfa available to eligible children in advance of an agreement being signed between NHS and the manufacturer of the drug.

Steve Brine: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently evaluating cerliponase alfa for use in the treatment of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2, through its highly specialised technologies programme. NICE published draft guidance on cerliponase alfa in February 2018 that does not recommend use of the drug as there is considerable uncertainty about the long-term effects of the drug. NHS England is in discussions with Biomarin, the manufacturer of cerliponase alfa, to seek to agree a managed access agreement (MAA) that may address the uncertainty and enable NICE to recommend the drug as value for money. Cerliponase alfa is not therefore currently routinely funded on the National Health Service, but NHS England and the company are working jointly to agree a MAA. In the absence of final guidance from NICE, clinicians can apply to NHS England for funding in exceptional cases through the individual funding request process.

Rare Diseases: Drugs

Mr Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to review NICE’s criteria for reviewing new medicines so that it ensures appropriate access to treatments by people with rare diseases.

Steve Brine: The Department has no plans to review the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) criteria for assessing medicines. NICE is an independent body and is responsible for the methods and processes it uses in the development of its guidance. NICE’s methods and processes for the assessment of drugs have been carefully developed over time through extensive engagement with stakeholders and are internationally respected. NICE continues to keep its procedures under periodic review to ensure that they remain fit for purpose. All topics, including drugs for rare diseases, are considered through a rigorous topic selection process before formal referral to NICE to ensure that NICE guidance is appropriate and will add value. NICE assesses most significant new drugs through its technology appraisal programme and has been able to recommend a number of drugs licenced for the treatment of rare diseases for routine use on the National Health Service.

Obesity: Children

Johnny Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government's revised childhood obesity plan will make tackling noncommunicable diseases a priority.

Steve Brine: Obesity is a leading cause of serious non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Many of the key measures in both chapters of our childhood obesity plan will have an impact on tackling obesity across all age groups. These include the soft drinks industry levy, sugar reduction and wider calorie reformulation programme, restricting promotions and calorie labelling in restaurants which will improve our eating habits and reduce the amount of sugar we consume.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2018 to Question 171297 on Cervical Cancer: Screening, what steps he is taking to increase take-up of cervical screening in the North West.

Steve Brine: The Department, Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England continue to work together to understand the reasons for the decline in cervical screening uptake and to support the National Health Service and local authorities (LAs) to address them. This includes access to timely and useful data for benchmarking; providing evidence on best practices to increase uptake among women who wish to be screened; using governance levers to advise the NHS and LAs; and working in partnership with commissioners, providers and charities. In August 2018, PHE published Cervical Screening: ideas for helping to improve access and uptake; the guidance is available to view at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cervical-screening-coverage-and-data/cervical-screening-ideas-for-improving-access-and-uptake

Prostate Cancer: Tomography

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of Choline C-11 injection to meet the demand for PET scans for people with prostate cancer.

Steve Brine: NHS England intends to review access to tracers that have a short half-life, such as 11C Choline, following the conclusion of the national Phase II Positron Emission Tomography- Computed Tomography procurement. It is expected that this work will be undertaken in early 2019. The clinical commissioning policy statement can be found at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Positron-emission-tomography-Computed-tomography-guidelines-all-ages.pdf

General Practitioners: South Tyneside

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many practising GPs there were in (a) Jarrow constituency and (b) South Tyneside in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: The number of general practitioners (GP) (headcount), excluding retainers, registrars and locums, for NHS South Tyneside Clinical Commissioning Group is available in the following table. Figures are not available for Jarrow. Due to changes in the data source, comparisons before and after 2015 should be treated with caution. Census DateAll GPs (excluding registrars, retainers and locums)September 2013105September 2014110September 201596September 201697September 201797March 201895Source: NHS Digital Notes:Figures as at 30 September or 31 March.Prior to 2015 figures are sourced from National Health Application and Infrastructure Services GP Payments (Exeter) System. From 2015 figures are sourced from the workforce Minimum Dataset and include estimates for practices not submitting valid GP data.Due to the change in data source, caution should be exercised when comparing figures prior to 2015 with those from 2015 onwards.Locum data was not collected prior to 2015, so not all GP figures are available for this period.Figures shown do not include GPs working in prisons, army bases, educational establishments, specialist care centres including drug rehabilitation centres and walk-in centres.

General Practitioners: South Tyneside

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people in (a) Jarrow constituency and (b) South Tyneside have access to an adequate number of GP surgeries; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time to see a GP in (a) Jarrow constituency, and (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the North East and (e) England was in each year since 2010.

Steve Brine: The average waiting time for a general practitioner (GP) appointment is not collected or held centrally. In the 2018 GP patient survey 61.6% of respondents (who could remember whether or not they were able to get an appointment, and when they wanted the appointment) stated they saw or spoke to someone at a time they wanted to or sooner. NHS England is working with NHS Digital to consider ways of improving the availability and quality of GP data, including waiting times data. The Government has committed to improving access to general practice services by 2019. This includes ensuring there are sufficient routine appointments available at evenings and weekends to meet locally determined demand, alongside effective access to out of hours and urgent care services. The latest National Health Service planning guidance, issued by NHS England in February 2018, requires clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to provide extended access to general practice to their whole population by 1 October 2018, to ensure additional capacity is in place ahead of winter 2018. The General Practice Forward View (GP Forward View), published in April 2016, commits to increasing investment in General Practice by £2.4 billion a year by 2020/21 from £9.7 billion in 2015/16 to over £12 billion by 2020/21 – a 14% real-terms increase. This investment will improve patient care and access, and facilitate new ways of providing primary care. Commissioners of primary medical care services monitor practice catchment areas to ensure that all areas of the country have primary medical care cover, and through an annual review of every primary medical care contract are aware of local primary medical care capacity and how this meets demand. Practices are funded on a weighted population basis and therefore, where populations grow gradually, practices receive additional investment to take on new patients which allows them to grow to maintain services for patients. There has been a national trend in practices becoming larger, employing more staff and operating with a more diverse workforce in order to meet rising demand. NHS South Tyneside CCG advises it has a number of schemes in place which maximise the availability of GP appointments. This includes support to diversify the workforce, a well-developed “Think Pharmacy First” scheme in South Tyneside community pharmacies and an extended access service which has offered approximately 15,000 additional appointments over the last nine months. Electronic consultations are also currently being piloted in the area. NHS England Cumbria and the North East advises it also has a number of schemes in place to increase capacity in general practice. This includes a pilot of a tool to analyse workforce, capacity and demand and some CCGs are offering online consultations with more practices due to offer this service later this year. 45 practices have also received funding through the national resilience programme and the CCG has acquired funding for up to 25 GPs to take part in the Local GP Retention Fund to support retention of the workforce.

Horses: Slaughterhouses

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many horses were slaughtered in abattoirs in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017; and how many of those horses carried passports issued by Weatherbys.

Steve Brine: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is responsible for the delivery of official controls in approved meat establishments (slaughterhouses, cutting plants and game handling establishments) subject to veterinary control within the United Kingdom. 2016 –3,328 Soliped and Equidae were slaughtered2017 –2,358 Soliped and Equidae were slaughtered The FSA does not record the number of horses slaughtered. These are recorded under the Soliped and Equidae category. This category includes horses, but other members of the Soliped and Equidae family are also included (mammals, members of which have a single functional digit although the second and third digits persist as splint bones, includes horses, wild horses, asses (donkeys) and zebras). 2016 – 143 had passports issued by Weatherbys2017 – 127 had passports issued by Weatherbys Weatherbys passport numbers include: Weatherbys, Weatherbys Thoroughbred, Weatherby Ireland and Weatherbys Irish.

Pharmacy: Hampstead and Kilburn

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the proposed average payments to community pharmacies were in Hampstead and Kilburn constituency under the Pharmacy Access Scheme in (a) 2015-16 (b)2016-17 and (c) 2017-18.

Steve Brine: The Pharmacy Access Scheme was introduced from December 2016 to maintain access to National Health Service pharmaceutical services in areas where the pharmacy’s closure would have the greatest impact on patient access. To be eligible for the scheme pharmacies had to be more than one mile away from the next nearest pharmacy and not within the top 25% of pharmacies by dispensing volume. The distance criteria were reduced to 0.8 miles for pharmacies, that applied to the NHS and were in the 20% most deprived areas, where continued access was deemed critical. Based on these criteria, there are no community pharmacies located in the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency that are eligible for payments under the Pharmacy Access Scheme.

Preventive Medicine

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of the NHS budget has been spent on prevention of ill health in (a) 2009-10 (b) 2014-2015 and (c) 2017-18.

Steve Brine: Information on preventative health spend is not collected centrally.

Department for International Development

Developing Countries: Nature Conservation

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: What discussions she has had with the Foreign Secretary on using Official Development Assistance to help protect endangered species.

Harriett Baldwin: Ministers in my department, the Foreign Office, and Defra meet regularly, and together we are using UK ODA to fight the illegal wildlife trade. We are working to ensure the London Conference on the illegal wildlife trade this week will deliver tangible actions that help stamp out this destructive, billion dollar criminal industry.

Developing Countries: Trade Promotion

Mrs Pauline Latham: What steps she is taking to promote trade for development.

Penny Mordaunt: My Department is working with the Department for International Trade to ensure our trade policy benefits developing countries as well as the UK. We aim to deliver continuity in our trading arrangements with developing countries as we leave the EU, provide support to help countries trade, and explore options to expand our relationships in the future.

Palestinians: USA

Matthew Pennycook: What assessment she has made of the effect on Palestinian refugees of recent reductions in US aid.

Alistair Burt: Proactive UK lobbying has helped reduce the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees’ (UNRWA) immediate financing shortfall. However, the withdrawal of US funding could exacerbate the future humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees and threaten regional security. The UK Government has committed to provide £57.5 million to UNRWA this year.

Developing Countries

Daniel Kawczynski: What steps she is taking to promote trade for development.

Penny Mordaunt: My Department is working with the Department for International Trade to ensure our trade policy benefits developing countries as well as the UK. We aim to deliver continuity in our trading arrangements with developing countries as we leave the EU, provide support to help countries trade, and explore options to expand our relationships in the future.

Overseas Aid: Private Sector

Ms Marie Rimmer: What steps she is taking to ensure that private contractors in receipt of aid spending are held to the same safeguarding standards as charity and non-governmental organisation contractors.

Penny Mordaunt: DFID holds all partners to the same high safeguarding standards. Private sector organisations must follow our Supply Partner Code of Conduct. It sets high, legally enforceable standards for ethical behaviour and compliance with human rights, including specific clauses on sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Jack Lopresti: What processes are in place to monitor UK aid spending in the Palestinian Territories.

Alistair Burt: DFID continuously monitors UK aid spending in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We rigorously manage delivery partners according to the Supply Partner Code of Conduct, map the flow of funds through the delivery chain, and all our programmes are subject to independent audits. We evaluate and improve our programmes regularly through annual reviews.

Rohingya: Refugees

Rushanara Ali: If her Department will provide additional funding to Rohingya refugees in preparation for the cyclone season.

Alistair Burt: The UK has invested £12.6 million specifically in emergency preparedness before the cyclone season. The Bangladeshi government is experienced in responding to extreme weather events. We are working with the government and other partners to keep emergency preparedness a priority, to enhance coordination and to ensure the overall response builds resilience.

Developing Countries: Rule of Law

Andrew Selous: What assessment she has made of the effect of the application of the rule of law on levels of prosperity in developing countries.

Harriett Baldwin: We believe the rule of law underpins open and fair societies and economies, where citizens, businesses and civil society can prosper. We undertook our own assessments in 2013 and 2015; and also use the 2017 World Bank Global Investment Competitiveness report to assess the evidence.

Ministry of Justice

Birmingham Prison

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost of deploying detached duty public sector staff at HMP Birmingham in the next six months; and who will be responsible for paying that cost.

Rory Stewart: HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has, since 20 August, exercised its right under the contract to step in and take over the running of HMP Birmingham for an initial period of six months. The additional cost of the step-in action, including HMPPS staff, has yet to be finalised. However, it, together with any reduction in the price for cells taken out of operational use, will be recovered from G4S in accordance with the contract.The deployment of staff between prisons on Detached Duty (DD) is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. DD allocation is only planned three months in advance and therefore it is not possible to provide data for the next six months. The number of Prison Officers deployed on DD also varies from one week to the next in order to reflect operational circumstances. Tables 1,2, and 3 shows the proposed number of staff deployed to HMP Birmingham from each prison. Table 1 Prison OfficersLittlehey2Bure2Dartmoor2Exeter1Guys Marsh2Coldingley1Lewes2Brinsford2Brixton3Isis2Pentonville1Wandsworth1Bullingdon1Erlestoke1Cardiff1Swansea1Berwyn1Send1Low Newton1Foston Hall2Lindholme1Hull1Leeds2Moorland1 Table 2 Custodial ManagersElmley2Stoke Heath1Bure1Stafford1 Table 3 Physical Education OfficersBure1Wakefield1Stoke Heath1

Prisoners' Release

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2018 to Question 158711 on Prisoners' Release, which offence was committed in each of the cases of violence against the person and the case of sexual assault.

Rory Stewart: Prison records indicate that the alleged offences involved in these five cases were: “affray” (in two cases), “assault” (in two cases), and “sexual assault”. There are strict rules and risk assessments before anyone is considered for temporary release and research suggests that people who get this time in the community are less likely to offend when they leave prison. Over 99% of temporary releases are completed successfully and most failures do not involve offending. Anyone breaking the rules faces extra time in prison.

Department for International Trade

Trade Promotion: Liberia

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to promote trade relations between the UK and Liberia.

Graham Stuart: The British Embassy in Monrovia and the DIT pan-Africa Trade Services Unit provide UK businesses who are present in Liberia, or are interested in doing business there, with help and advice.The British Embassy organised and sponsored UK-Liberia Investment events in November 2016 in Monrovia and in September 2017 in London, attended by UK and Liberian companies, Liberian Cabinet Ministers and the Liberian National Investment Commission.Our Embassy has also supported capability-building at the Liberian National Investment Commission, increasing its capacity to enter into Public Private Partnerships.

Trade Promotion: Liberia

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many trade delegations there have been to Liberia in the last five years.

Graham Stuart: There have been two trade delegations to Liberia. In September 2016, a trade delegation of UK meat exporters visited Liberia. In November 2016, the British Embassy organised and sponsored a UK-Liberia Investment workshop in Monrovia, attended by over 40 UK and Liberian companies. The President of Liberia attended the event.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has published new guidance on the 10 yearly light touch review for  personal independence payment claimants with severe conditions.

Sarah Newton: In August 2018, we introduced updated guidance for case managers which will ensure that those who receive the highest level of support under Personal Independence Payment, and where their needs are unlikely to change or may get worse, will now receive an ongoing award with a light touch review at the ten year point. A copy of the award period guidance will be placed in the Library. The light touch review process and guidance itself has not yet been developed, but we aim to do so well in advance of the first such reviews taking place. We intend to consult with stakeholders as part of that process.

Home Office

Immigration: Windrush Generation

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who contacted his Department's Taskforce for Windrush subsequently experienced (a) immigrant enforcement and (b) police action.

Caroline Nokes: No one who has contacted the Department’s Taskforce for Windrush has subsequently experienced immigration enforcement action as a result of coming forward. We are very clear that information to taskforce will not be passed for enforcement.As at 17 May 2018, 7 individuals who have contacted the Windrush Taskforce, have also been identified as being wanted in connection to an on-going criminal investigation and have been referred to the Police. How the Police then decided to handle the matter is for them, and not something that the Taskforce are involved in, as it is not related to an immigration matter.

Deportation: Windrush Generation

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the Windrush generation his Department has identified to date as having been deported as a result of its immigration policies.

Caroline Nokes: The Department has been carrying out a review of all cases of Caribbean Commonwealth nationality, born before 1 January 1973, who have been removed and/or detained by the Home Office since 2002 (when the Casework Information Database (CID) was available across the immigration system) and sought to identify any individuals where there was an indication in the record that the individual could have been in the UK before 1973.The Home Secretary wrote to the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee on 21st August to provide an update on this work. This letter outlined that, so far, this review has identified 164 people who were detained and / or removed who told the Home Office they came to the UK before 1 January 1973. Of these, we have identified 18 people who stayed here permanently and who are the people we consider most likely to have suffered detriment because their right to be in the UK was not recognised and where the Department is most likely to have acted wrongfully in removed or detaining them. Eleven of these left the UK voluntarily and seven were detained. Letters of apology are being sent from the Home Secretary.A copy of this letter has been deposited in the House Library. This work is ongoing and the Home Secretary has committed to regularly updating the Home Affairs Select Committee on progress.These cases of removal and detention have happened over many years under successive governments, with cases spread roughly equally between 2002-2010, and from 2010 onwards. Of course, no matter how long ago the removal or detention case the Home Office will do whatever it can to address anything wrongful which has been done.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions his Department has had with representatives of Universities UK on the UK’s post-study work system for international students have completed their study at a UK university.

Caroline Nokes: We have regular discussions with Universities UK, as a key stakeholder representing a number of Tier 4 sponsors, on a range of issues including the UK’s post-study work offer for international students.

Antisocial Behaviour: Young People

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to prevent young people from committing anti-social behaviour.

Victoria Atkins: The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police and local authorities with a range of flexible powers that they can use to prevent young people and others from committing anti-social behaviour. The legislation is designed to ensure that anti-social behaviour by young people is dealt with properly and proportionately.To support local agencies decide when and how to use these powers the Home Office refreshed its statutory guidance for frontline practitioners on the use of the statutory powers in December 2017.

Police: Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have taken more than two weeks of sick leave as a result of injuries that occurred at work.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office does not hold the information requested centrally.The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of police officers on certified long-term sick absence as at 31st March each year.Long-term sickness includes any recognised medical condition, physical or psychological, as reported by the officer or a medical practitioner, which has lasted for more than 28 calendar days. These data are published in the annual ‘Police workforce’ statistical bulletin, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-walesHowever, these data do not include the reason for the sick absence therefore the Home Office are unable to identify those on sick absence due to injuries occurred at work.The Home Office also collects information on the number of police officers on short/medium term sick absence as at 31st March each year. Short/medium term absence due to sickness includes officers on leave for 28 days or less. Again, these data do not include the reason for the sick absence.This information is published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) in their Value for Money profiles, available here: https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/our-work/value-for-money-inspections/value-for-money-profiles

Police

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) male and (b) female police officers were employed in each of the last five years.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of police officers employed, broken down by gender, by each Police Force Area in England and Wales on a bi-annual basis. These data are published in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical publication.Data on the number of police officers, including a breakdown of gender, as at 31 March each year and going back to March 2007, can be found in the accompanying Open Data Table: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/629362/open-data-table-police-workforce.ods

Police Stations: Closures

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police stations have closed in each of the last four years.

Mr Nick Hurd: I refer the Hon member to the UIN 141753 given on the 10 May 2018.The Home Office does not collect information on police station closures.It is for democratically elected Police and Crime Commissioners, working with Chief Constables, to determine the best use of resources to effectively serve and engage their communities and to build their trust and confidence.

Serious Violence Taskforce

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings of the Serious Violence Taskforce he has chaired between 30 April 2018 and 12 September 2018.

Victoria Atkins: The Serious Violence Taskforce has been established to oversee and drive implementation of Serious Violence Strategy launched in April. The Taskforce met for the first time on 26 April and the Home Secretary has chaired two meetings of the Taskforce on 11 June and 17 July. It is next due to meet on 22 October.

Crimes of Violence: Conferences

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to host an International Violent Crime Symposium.

Victoria Atkins: We will be holding an International Violent Crime Symposium later this Autumn in line with the commitment in the Serious Violence Strategy.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings he had with the Chief Constable of the Police Service Northern Ireland between 30 April 2018 and 12 September 2018 to discuss the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Secretary of State for the Home Department was scheduled to meet the Chief Constable recently but was unable to do so. We are looking to rearrange the meeting. We continue to engage closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland at official level on all matters of mutual interest.

Crimes of Violence

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which (a) chief constables and (b) senior officers he met to discuss knife crime and serious violence between taking up his position and 12 September 2018.

Victoria Atkins: Since taking up his position the Home Secretary has focused his efforts on reducing the level of serious violence including knife crime. To improve his understanding of the issues across the country, the Home Secretary has met with police officers of all ranks.In addition, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the National Police Chiefs Council lead for gangs, knife crime and county lines are both members of the Serious Violence Taskforce which is chaired by the Home Secretary.

Home Office: Staff

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff (a) are employed directly by (b) are seconded to and (c) work under contract to his Department.

Victoria Atkins: Home Office publish monthly workforce management information on gov.uk - links provided below. This information has been summarised in the table 1 provided.2010 to 2017: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/structure-and-salaries-series2018: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-management-information-2018

UK Visas and Immigration: Telephone Services

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much (a) revenue and (b) operating income Visas and Immigration derived from chargeable calls to its contact centres from outside the UK in the last period for which figures are available.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office currently has a contract in place with Sitel UK Ltd for the provision of Contact Centre Services (both UK and International). It is not possible to provide the data requested due to commercial sensitivity.

Home Office: Working Hours

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the contracted hours are for the highest paid member of staff in his Department.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office has obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation and in law generally to protect personal data.The contractual terms and conditions for an employee are personal data between the employer and the employee as set out in the contract of employment.We cannot therefore comment on contracted hours for an individual employee. However, all Home Office contracts of employment comply with pre-modernised or modernised Civil Service terms and conditions as laid down by Cabinet Office. Senior Civil Service contracts are governed direct by Cabinet Office.

Police: ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to develop algorithms to assist in police investigations.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Home Office is developing new computer systems through its Biometrics Programme and National Law Enforcement Data Programme to replace the existing national police systems dealing with criminal records, intelligence, and biometrics.These systems will use more efficient and powerful algorithms than the current systems. The Home Office is also supporting a number of projects to improve computer systems at force level through the Police Transformation Fund.

Asylum: Housing

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans his Department has to grant local authorities more (a) flexibility and (b) powers in overseeing how and where asylum seekers are housed in their areas.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office is committed to working co-operatively with local authorities and communities to ensure the sustainability of asylum accommodation contracts.Since September 2016 the Home Office has actively and extensively engaged with local authorities with a wide range of stakeholders across local government, statutory and third sector as part of the development of the new asylum accommodation contracts and the information obtained through this process has influenced the design of the future service provision.Currently, when properties are identified for procurement by one of the existing providers, we consult with LAs before asylum seekers are accommodated. A number of factors will be considered in terms of clustering the supported asylum population, such as cohesion and anti social behaviour. We will continue to engage with local authorities and the wider community throughout the procurement and implementation of the new contracts to offer flexibility where possible.

Domestic Violence: Children

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the additional £8 million set out in the Victims Strategy, published in September 2018, Cm. 9700, allocated to support children who witness domestic abuse will come from existing budgets.

Victoria Atkins: The £8 million comes from existing budgets. £20 million was allocated to victims of domestic abuse in the Spring Budget 2017, of which £8million was allocated to children affected by domestic abuse.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Staff

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many staff (a) are employed directly by (b) are seconded to and (c) work under contract to his Department.

David Mundell: The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not employ staff directly. All staff that join do so on assignment, loan or secondment from other government bodies, principally the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government. No staff are on contracts directly with the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland.Specific details can be found in the staffing section of the Scotland Office Annual report 2017/18:Scotland Office Annual Report 2017/18

Scotland Office: Living Wage

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage.

David Mundell: No staff that work in the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, located inside and outside Greater London, are paid below the Real Living Wage. The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not employ staff directly. All staff that join do so on assignment, loan or secondment from other government bodies, principally the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government.

Scotland Office: Living Wage

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many staff in his Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the London Living Wage.

David Mundell: No staff that work in the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland, located inside and outside Greater London, are paid below the London Living Wage. The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not employ staff directly. All staff that join do so on assignment, loan or secondment from other government bodies, principally the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government.

Scotland Office: Working Hours

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what the contracted hours are for the highest paid member of staff in his Department.

David Mundell: The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland does not employ staff directly. All staff that join do so on assignment, loan or secondment from other government bodies, principally the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government, who remain the employers.

Cabinet Office

Constitution Reform Group: Freedom of Information

Cat Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many freedom of information requests the Constitution Group has received each year since 2015; and what proportion of such requests were (a) granted in full, (b) are still outstanding, (c) partially withheld and (d) fully withheld.

Chloe Smith: The number of FOI requests received by Constitution Group since 2015, broken down by year, are as follows: 2015: 322016: 202017: 412018 (first quarter): 14   Cabinet Office records the outcome of cases, including the nature of the response and the statutory exemptions used, at the departmental level and these Cabinet Office statistics are published quarterly as part of the wider FOI performance of central government. In order to provide the level of detail requested for just Constitution Group, the Cabinet Office would need to review each individual request and this would exceed the threshold of cost and time. The Cabinet Office’s publishing of statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, including the outcome of cases, can be found at the following weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.

Voting Rights: British Nationals Abroad

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of removing the 15-year time limit on the right of British citizens living overseas to vote in UK parliamentary elections.

Chloe Smith: British citizens living abroad retain strong links with the United Kingdom. Their stake in our country must be respected and this Government will not deny them the opportunity to have their say in the way their country is governed. The Government is committed to introducing “votes for life”, scrapping the rule that bars British citizens who have lived abroad for more than 15 years from voting. Glyn Davies’ Private Member’s Bill on Overseas Electors successfully passed its second reading in the House of Commons on 23 February 2018. A detailed Impact Assessment considering costing for the Overseas Electors Bill has now been published.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Living Wage

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many staff in her Department that work (a) inside and (b) outside Greater London are paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage.

Mr Shailesh Vara: No staff working for the Northern Ireland Office inside or outside Greater London is paid at a rate below the Real Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.